On Saturday, May 2nd, former Staunton Brave Scott Copeland (2007) became the 18,463rd baseball player to make his major league debut!
If that number seems hard to comprehend, how about this: Scott is the third player from the Valley League to make his major league debut just this year, joining Adam Liberatore (Waynesboro 2007-08) and Jack Leathersich (Haymarket 2009).
Scott pitched in just two games for the Blue Jays before getting sent back to Triple-A Buffalo, but he acquitted himself well, throwing 3 shutout innings while allowing 2 hits and 2 walks. He’ll be back.
Scott was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 21st round of the 2010 draft, but was released in July of 2012 after an excellent debut season, but two tough ones in 2011 and 2012. The Toronto Blue Jays scooped him up right away, and sent him to High-A Dunedin, where Scott clearly became a different pitcher.
In 2012 in Dunedin, after going 3-8, 6.88 in Frederick, Scott went 4-1, 2.70. In 2013, back in Dunedin, Scott went 9-8, 3.74 in 146.2 innings. He took a big step forward in 2014, going 11-9, 3.45 in 164.1 innings across Double-A and Triple-A.
In 2015, not counting his cup of coffee in the majors, he’s 2-1, 1.74 in 31 innings pitched. Maybe he just gets better with age.
At any rate, congratulations on becoming another Valley League success story, Scott!
All Things Valley League 